Saddle cinch and d-holder



SADDLE CINGH AND D HQLDER INVENTOR.

455mm flzeezA United States Patent 3,348,362 SADDLE CINCH AND D-HOLDER Arsenio Herrera, 635 Pennsylvania St., Denver, Colo. 80203 Filed Feb. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 527,830 9 Claims. (Cl. 54-23) This invention relates to cinches for saddles, and more particularly to a saddle cinch of the type in which a pair of D-rings are positioned in transversely aligned relation for securing the pair of cinches together or for securing a cinch to a breast collar.

As conducive to anunderstanding of the instant invention, it should be pointed out that cinches of the prior art are provided with a pair of D-rings woven into the cord material in order to secure a given cinch to another cinch by the use of a leather strap or to secure a given cinch to a breast collar which extends about the lower portion of a horses neck. In practice, the weaving of the D-ring into the cinch provides a secure connection until the stresses imparted thereto break the weaving material. In order to continue to provide D-rings upon such a cinch, it is necessary to re-weave the D-rings to the cinch or otherwise to repair the cinch,

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a cinch or bellyband having at least a pair of spaced apart D-rings which are securely interconnected to prevent loosening as a result of prolonged wear.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a cinch having a pair of spaced apart D-rings for securement to another member in which the element interconnecting the D-rings is secured to the strands that comprise the cinch.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a cinch or bellyband in which the D-rings are woven to a selected strand of the cinch and are further connected thereto by a rigid element which loops the selected strand and the D-n'ngs.

A still further object of the instant invention is to provide a saddle cinch of the character described which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured, which is durable and long lasting, and which promotes the safety of riders by securely alfixing the D-rings to the saddle cinch.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction and utilization, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a view of a conventional western saddle equipped with a pair of cinches of the instant invention secured together and to a breast collar;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the saddle cinches of the instant invention showing in dotted lines the interconnection between the cinches and connection between one of the cinches and a breast collar;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the D-holder of the instant invention;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cinch of the instant invention taken substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is a view of a blank D-holder which is manipulated to secure the D-rings of the saddle cinch together.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like reference characters designate like elements throughout the several views thereof, there is designated generally at a saddle of the western type having the customary cantle 12, born 14, stirrup straps 16, stirrups 18, and a pair of cinches of the instant invention shown generally at 20 interconnected with saddle 10 by a plurality of adjustable straps 22. Cinches 20 are connected together by another adjustable strap 24 with the foremost cinch being connected to a breast collar shown generally at 26 by another connecting strap 28.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, each of cinches 20 includes a plurality of substantially parallel strands 30 connected at each end to a connecting means shown generally at 32 for securement to adjustable straps 22. Although connecting means 32 may be of any suitable type, they are illustrated as having a circular ring 34 to which each strand 30 is secured, a crossbar 36 extending transversely with respect to cinch 20 and a tongue 38 rotatably mounted about crossbar 36 such that connecting means 32 is in the form of a buckle. It is, of course, well known that connecting means 32 may merely include ring 34 with straps 22 being looped therea-bout.

In the prior art, D-rings have been provided in the position shown in- FIGURE 2 such that cinches may be secured together or such that a cinch may be secured to a breast collar as shown in FIGURE 1. Prior art cinches have accomplished this by weaving the flat segment of the D-ring to a selected one of the longitudinally extending strands which has resulted in the D-rings rapidly breaking loose thus wearing out equipment and resulting in a loose saddle and breast col-lar thus tending to endanger the rider.

In the instant invention, a pair of rings 40, 42, which are illustrated as D-rings, but which may be of any suitable configuration, are woven to a selected one of strands 30 adjacent the lateral edge of the band-like member formed by strands 30. A D-holder shown generally at 44 is then used to interconnect D-rings 40, 42. D-holder 44 is a rigid element, preferably of a non-corrosive metal such as brass, forming a plurality of ears 46 extending toward each of connecting means 32.

Each outer end 48 of D-holder 44 is preferably reduced in width and is bent over the flat segment of the associated D-ring and the strand to which the associated D-ring is secured as may be seen best in FIGURES 3 and 4. In addition, each outer end 48 is bent toward central section 50 such that the inwardly spaced strands lie between outer end 48 and the mid-section of the horse to prevent injury to the horse by abrasion.

As may be seen best in FIGURE 4, center section 50 of the D-holder 44 is spaced on one face of cinch 20 away from the horse such that cars 46, center section 50 and the major part of outer ends 48 do not abrade the mid-section of the horse. As the last step of manufacture, the strand 52, similar to strands 30, is woven in a preferably diamond-shaped configuration about D-holder 44 to lend further structural rigidity to cinch 20. In particular, ears 46 are covered by strand 52 to provide an additional securing area between D-rings 40, 42 and strands 30.

Although D-holder 44 may be of any desired substantially rigid material, it is preferred that it be of metal, such as bronze, steel or the like. Although the size and shape of D-holder 44 may be varied to suit the requirements of the particular cinch to which it is secured, in the particular embodiment shown, the over-all length of D-holder 44 is about 5 inches with outer ends 48 being about inch in length. Bars 46 are preferably spaced about 1 7 inches apart, about inch in length, about inch in width at the base thereof and about A inch in width at the terminus thereof.

It is now seen that there is herein provided an im proved saddle cinch which accomplishes all of the objects and advantages of the instant invention, and in particular more securely binds D-rings 40, 42 to strands 30, as well as many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiment herein shown and described, it is to be understood that the foregoing is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A cinch for saddles comprising a plurality of substantially parallel strands forming a band-like member for underlying the mid-section of a horse;

means, secured to each end of the band-like member,

for connecting the band to a saddle;

at least one ring intermediate the band and adjacent each longitudinal edge thereof;

means afiixing the rings in transversely aligned relation to the band on one face thereof, the afilxing means including means interconnecting the rings and at least one of said strands.

2. The saddle cinch of claim 1 wherein the aflixing means includes at least one end portion enclosing and interweaving selected ones of the strands.

3. The saddle cinch of claim 1 further including means securing the interconnecting means to selected ones of the strands.

4. The saddle cinch of claim 3 wherein the interconnecting means is a rigid element attached to one face of the band.

S. The saddle cinch of claim 4 wherein .the rigid element is made of metal.

6. The saddle cinch of claim 4 wherein the outer ends of the rigid element loop about the ring and at least one strand.

7. The saddle cinch of claim 4 wherein the outer ends of the rigid element lie on the one face.

8. The saddle cinch of claim 4 wherein the securing means includes a plurality of ears, on the rigid element, extending generally toward the connecting means; and

at least one second strand securing the ears to the first mentioned strands. v

9. The saddle cinch of claim 8 wherein the ears extend toward said securing means at each end of the band.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 202,683 4/1878 Watters 24182 290,289 12/1383 Traphagan 24182 292,844 2/ 1884 Northcutt 24182 663,445 12/1900 Kootz 5423 730,321 6/1903 Weeks 5 23 2,230,070 1/1941 Wilhelm 25 2,483,316 9/ 1949 Holly 5423 ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CINCH FOR SADDLES COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL STRANDS FORMING A BAND-LIKE MEMBER FOR UNDERLYING THE MID-SECTION OF A HORSE; MEANS, SECURED TO EACH END OF THE BAND-LIKE MEMBER, FOR CONNECTING THE BAND TO A SADDLE; AT LEAST ONE RING INTERMEDIATE THE BAND AND ADJACENT EACH LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREOF; MEANS AFFIXING THE RINGS IN TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED RELATION TO THE BAND ON ONE FACE THEREOF, THE AFFIXING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE RINGS AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID STRANDS. 